THE BIG FOUR: A New Breed of Thieves
by crazejen
Summary: They are young and they are the best. Four of the most dangerous thieves of their time... and no one can catch them. They are The Big Four. (Many of the Big Four characters from the movies will be featured in this story!) FAQ: crazejen (dot) tumblr (dot) com / FAQ
1. Prologue

**Police Headquarters in California.**

May 16th, 2013.

The day was boring, and Eugene was turning round and round in his chair, until a foot slammed on the bottom his chair and jerked him to a stop. Eugene stared up at his boss, pencil in his mouth.

"Yo boss," He greeted, dropping the pencil on the desk, "what's up?"

His boss, a superior man with thick brows and a constant scowl, looked down at him, "I have a new case for you, Fitzherbert."

Eugene sat up, "oh yeah?"

"Yeah." He paused, "I assume you've heard of the Big Four?"

"Sure, they're only the most dangerous crew of people that-"

"Yes, them. We recently uncovered some new information on them. Keeping in mind that this information is strictly classified, we've decided to bring you in as head investigator."

Eugene felt his foot slip off the chair's leg and he gaped, "Me? What happened to Chester?"

The boss cleared his throat, "we had an unfortunate incident. Seems that The Ghost is much better at his job than Mr. Foster was." Eugene suddenly looked uneasy.

"Don't worry about it. Those files, I want you to look through them and know your enemy. Tomorrow, you'll be running point." He gave Eugene a sharp look, "do not disappoint me."

Eugene smiled, "no way, I won't!" He took the files as the boss left and glared, "why now?" he looked at the thick file and sighed, resigning himself to his fate. "Here we go." He opened the file and the first file inside was stamped "CLASSIFIED". He opened it.

"Merida 'The Demon' DunBroch… huh, nice name." He sipped his coffee, "age eighteen… EIGHTEEN?!" He spit coffee all over the table, "Ah, sorry people. Go back to your lives." He said to the curious or annoyed people who looked at him.

"Holy cripes.. they're kids." His hands gripped the folder tighter, "not cool." He continued to read, _'stands at five-foot eight. Drives like vicious demon out of hell, thus her name. She is headstrong and as far as we know, second in command. Huh, she seems.. sweet.'_ Another sip of coffee, _'Rapunzel 'The Escapist' Corona. Nineteen. Escaped a maximum security detention center when she was fifteen. She is also known for her lock-picking skills and her theft of a Van Gogh.'_ Eugene blinked, "whoa, impressive."

_'Hiccup 'The Horrendous' Haddock. Seventeen. Known for being the tech of the group and having the highest intelligence to date. He's a hacker and has attacked people with many vicious viruses, even disabling the CIA's systems. Eesh!'_ Eugene shuddered, "boy, these kids…"

At this point, Eugene was walking around, getting more coffee as the last of his co-workers drizzled out of the office and he was almost entirely alone, _'Last but not least, Jack 'The Ghost' Frost. twenty or twenty-one, unknown. With the least amount of information.. the only thing known about him is his ability to fit into any crowd and escape without ever being seen.'_ Eugene looked up at the deserted desks and blinked, "I'm in serious trouble," He whispered.


	2. Chapter One: Deception

**May 17th, 2013.**

2:33 p.m.

The fresh cool air washed over the sneakers which pushed through the revolving doors onto black and white marble tiles. Everywhere sneakers and shoes squeaked as people walked to and fro, a bustling crowd of curious faces and twinkling eyes.

The sneakers which had just joined the foray moved with slow, steady steps as one accustomed to heavy crowds. Other shoes came close to stepping on his, but he was swift and dodged the clomping feet with ease until at last they stopped. The boy's eyes drifted up and over the painting. It was a rare piece of art, one which had just been put there a few months back. He admired it with a keen eye, knowing all that he was seeing.

He was nothing out of the ordinary in the museum, in fact, he mixed well with the jazzy new age kids who wore bright colours and talked too loud for some of the adults, that was why no one noticed him. Not at first, anyway.

He knew what security would look for in a person who was casing the museum and he smiled as he wondered just how security was handling this right now.

In fact, one man stood staring at the monitors. For ten minutes, his eyes hadn't left the unmoving boy with a dark green floppy hat on his head. He stared harder at the screen, the boy had never once face the camera. But there was something familiar in his stance.

"Can you zoom in on that kid?" The tall man asked, pointing at the screen. The lower level security man grumbled under his breath and zoomed. The other man ignored him as the grainy picture maxed the screen. He blinked, and for a moment he almost gave up, then it hit him. "Oh my gosh," he whispered. "Get all security ready. That's one of the Big Four!"

"How can you be sure?" The other man asked, startled by the man's outburst.

"Because…" The man stared at the screen, "I would know those sneakers anywhere. Get your men ready and be quiet about it, if he smells a trap, he'll run."

The funny thing was, the boy was already well aware of the trap. He had a listening device with high-frequency and which he had tapped into the securities earwigs. He smirked as he heard the command and placed the little box back in his pants pocket. Slowly, like a normal person, he turned to the doors ready to leave. Only, two cops blocked the way. That was unexpected. He quirked his brows and turned back around, heading back for a hallway. As he turned the bend, he casually pulled out another box which looked like a cellphone and tapped the screen. A blueprint of all the exits appeared and he grinned.

Only, time was short because before him two security guards were coming. He blinked, this wasn't going to be so easy.

"Hey, you. We want to talk with you." One of them said sternly.

"Sure, what is it officer?" The boy asked.

"We would like to talk to you in private," the other one said.

The boy smiled slowly, "why officers? Have I done something wrong?"

"No.. but-"

"You just need to come with us!" The gruffer one said glaring at him.

"Sorry, but.. I have plans." The boy dashed at them, catching them off guard. His shoes slipped and he slid under one of them who was standing with his legs apart in an attempt to brace against what he thought would be a full on attack. The boy raced down the hall away from them as they called for back-up. He pushed off the wall out of another man's reach.

"What the? Is that Parkour?" One of them exclaimed.

There was no one to answer since they were all chasing the ridiculously quick teen who now had ten guards after him. No matter what they tried, he constantly evaded them. Finally they surrounded him by a secure door which needed an access code. The boy looked up frantically, backing away from the door as a man in a suit walked up.

"It's over, Horrendous Haddock." The FBI agent said, "give yourself up."

Hiccup's fear turned to victory, "I don't think so," His eyes flickered to the door and the men looked too. Suddenly an explosion rang in their ears, and they flinched. The FBI agent rushed forward, trying to grab the boy, but it was too late. He was at the door, he turned to face the Agent and smiled through the dust before falling backwards out the door.

"Damn!" The Agent snarled.

"Who was that kid?" One of the men asked, "and why did he know Parkour?"

The agent, glared at them, "it wasn't parkour. It was Free-running. Parkour is for the use of protecting people. Free-running is for your own livelihood. And that kid was Hiccup The Horrendous Haddock. A key member in the Big Four group."

"Hey, ain't those them kids the FBI's been after for three years now? Didn't they steal a Van Gogh?"

Agent Parkerson turned slowly to the security guard with a look so cold and fierce that the man quaked, "yes. Yes they are. And yes they did, among many other priceless objects." He walked to the painting and looked at it. "Seems they have found their next target."

* * *

**At the Big Four Headquarters…**

"What do you mean 'not enough data?'" A redhead girl shouted at the laptop, "what does that mean?!" She grabbed the edges, trying to force it to reveal its secrets, but the laptop continued incessantly, "not enough date, not enough data, not enough data."

"I KNOW!" She screamed.

"What is going on in here?" A boy with white hair asked as he entered the room, "you are making enough noise to wake the dead." He looked over the curly redhead's shoulder.

"It keeps sayin' that!" She growled, "not enough data!" she mocked resisting the urge to punch the technology.

"Ah, probably better if you just shut it off for now," Jack said running a hand through his bedhead hair. "Geez," he yawned, "I woke up for this?"

Merida glared, "when is Hiccup comin' back?"

"Any time now…" Jack said just as the front door opened. "Hey!" He called as Hiccup appeared covered in dust from sheetrock with a smirk on his face. "How'd it go?" Jack asked, leaning against the fridge door.

Hiccup looked at him, "like clockwork."

"They don't suspect a thing?"

"Nope, they think they know what's going to happen. But while they are adding extra security to that museum, we can hit our real target." Hiccup slid off his jacket.

"Excellent. Nice job on your first time," Jack said

"FIX IT!" Merida suddenly shouted, making the boys look at her. Hiccup blinked and gazed at the computer, "Ah.. what'd you do?" He asked, pressing a few buttons.

"I don't know!" She cried.

"Shh, take it down a notch, will ya?" Hiccup asked, rubbing his ear. "Okay, all fixed. Please don't do that again."

Merida rolled her eyes and grumbled, "fine."

Jack shook his head, soon all would be ready.


	3. Chapter Two: The Crew

A/N: Ta-dah! Next chapter. This was originally going to be Chapter 1, but I didn't like it that much and rewrote chap. 1, so this is Chapter 2! Not much movement. But I'm trying to ease into this. XD; I'm sorry if that is annoying. Hee.

I really want to thank everyone who is reviewing and viewing this fanfiction! You guys have made it worthwhile to keep writing it! Thank you! And please stick with me. ^^ Also, if you see any errors at all in the words (such as a word that isn't being used right) please let me know so I can correct it. =D Thank you! I rushed to get this up for you guys~ 3

**Review Question from user 'Sky**': "But just one question? Where's Rapunzal?"

**A:** She is about to appear! =D

* * *

**Chapter Two**: The Crew.

May 17th, 2013.

5:00 p.m.

**Somewhere in the hideout...**

The paintbrush dipped into the clean water, staining it with its many colors and swirling until the brush was dazzled around in the water, rinsing off the blue. It moved back to the palette and picks up a different color. The painter moved the brush to the canvas and continued the tiny detail.

"Hey."

"Jack, why do you always have to sneak up on me?" Rapunzel asked, glancing back at him, "you nearly made me make a mistake."

Jack smiled, "sorry," He came into the room from lurking in the doorway and stood beside her. "How's it coming?"

"It looks good," The blonde moved back examining the painting. "What do you think?"

Jack studied it closely. Out of all the members, Rapunzel was by far the best artist. Many other crews had tried to recruit her to make forgeries of art. She never took their offers.

"Looks exactly like it. But you're the art expert, you're the one who needs to like it," Jack stepped back. "Do you like it?"

Rapunzel grinned, "I do." They stood quietly for a minute before Rapunzel turned to Jack, "was that Merida I heard screaming?"

Jack glanced at her, "who else?"

* * *

**At Police Headquarters.**

May 20th, 2013.

11:45 a.m.

Eugene fiddled with a pencil, his eyes were red from a long night of reading and feeling more than a little out of his league, when two pristine suits walked in. Eugene shifted in his chair, eying the men, he was just wondering what they were doing here when they stopped in front of his desk.

"Eugene Fitzherbert?" One addressed him. This one was blonde, blue eyes, tan skin. His suit was indigo blue. Eugene arched a brow, "yeah?"

The man held out his hand, "Albert Parkerson, FBI."

Eugene took the man's hand, "FBI?" he questioned dubious of the strangers identity.

"Yes," The man didn't bother to unleash his badge, clearly he felt it wasn't necessary. "This is Matthew Curtis, CIA."

This man was dressed in a sharp black suit, his hair was slicked back and he was a brunette with brown eyes and pale skin. "Mr. Fitzherbert." He shook Eugene's hand stiffly.

"Okay. This is weird. What can I do for you?" Eugene asked, leaning on his desk.

"We're here to go over the case with you, seeing as you've been brought into the loop. This situation is of the highest importance and security. Let's talk in one of your rooms, shall we?" Agent Parkerson spoke solidly, leaving no room for Eugene to butt in, and guided the puzzled Detective to one of the interview rooms where both agents came in and shut the door.

"So, what do you know?" Parkerson asked, taking a seat while the CIA agent stayed by the door.

"Uh..." Eugene eyed Mr. Curtis, "I know everything that was in the files."

"Won't you sit?" Parkerson said, gesturing to a chair.

Eugene stuffed his hands in his pockets, "no thanks. I don't like being the criminal." He smiled. But it wasn't a friendly smile. The agents shifted uncomfortably.

"Alright. So I assume you know of Merida DunBroch?"

"Of course. Eighteen. Five-foot eight. Red curly hair, blue eyes, Scottish."

"Good, but those are only the surface details," Albert narrowed his eyes, leaning against the metal table. "She is from a prestigious family, the DunBroch Clan. They are known in Scotland for being a wealthy family. However, their daughter makes a mark on their perfect record. She was in and out of correctional facilities for a few years and even sent to an etiquette school."

"What happened there?" Eugene asked, curious now.

"She set the matron's hair on fire." Albert said flatly. Eugene stifled a laugh, covering it with a cough. "Shame," Eugene said, inwardly thinking how much he liked this girl already.

"It was," Albert leaned back, "she's been trouble since she was sixteen, after that she teamed up with another girl,"

"Let me guess," Eugene said, "Rapunzel Corona?"

Agent Parkerson smirked, "you're right. Rapunzel. She is the daughter of Gothel. A woman who has no record that we know of. Rapunzel "found" out Gothel wasn't her real mother and began to act out against her. At least, that's what the girl believed, she believed Gothel wasn't her mother. She was diagnosed with mental instability due to stress." The agent looked at his nails, "measures were taken."

Eugene stiffened, "I saw. She was locked in a detention center. Then after she broke out, she began to steal art. She became really good too. Her skills for forgery are almost unparallelled. It's quite unique."

"Detective, you almost sound impressed."

"I am, actually," Eugene said, "all of these kids, they're all really impressive. And I just can't help laughing at the idea that a bunch of trained agents can't get their hands on a couple of teenagers."

"It's harder than it looks," Curtis said from the door.

"I'm sure. But hey, you kids have fun," Eugene walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Albert stood, looking miffed. "We're not done. We have to talk strategy."

"Strategy?" Eugene looked back at the agent, "what strategy are you going to use that you haven't used already? Look agent, no offense, but it seems to me your methods haven't exactly been working. So if you don't mind, I'm going to do it my way." His hand was on the door handle.

"What's that exactly?" The agent asked, hands clenched into fists.

Eugene gave him one more backward look, a smirk painting his features, "Sorry fellas, I don't share my secrets." He winked and left the two agents baffled and angry.

* * *

May 20th, 2013

3:30 p.m.

**The Mall**

Merida's heels clicked on the solid floor, following close behind her was Rapunzel, she was looking particularly annoyed.

"It was unnecessary to go that fast, Merida." She said, crossing her arms.

Merida grinned, "oh, c'mon one, lass. You know I only have one speed."

"Yeah. Fast," Rapunzel rolled her eyes, "if you want to get arrested just wait until after the heist, okay?" Merida chuckled and kept walking. They were supposed to meet the boys there in a few minutes. The crew was planning to do a little shopping before their next escapade. Heists generally meant they would be locked inside until the heat died down. They had to take every precaution and this was one of them. Each time before the heist began, they would go shop for everything they would need for the upcoming time in lock-down, that included new clothes and other accessories to keep them from being bored.

"I always love this part." Merida said, stretching her arms over her head.

"Me too." Rapunzel said smiling, "it's always so much fun to collect things and then hide them until lock-down. But I admit, I do enjoy the rush of stealing."

Merida chuckled, "we all do."

Jack and Hiccup were now ahead of them, they walked toward each other just like anyone else in the mall, except, they were pretty sure they were the only teens who had the CIA running in circles and the FBI wailing like babies with their extreme reputations. So far, a camera had never taken their picture. They were safe from photos for now. The only details the agents had were eye witness accounts, and those could be faulty.

"You guys ready?" Jack asked when they finally stopped in front of each other.

"Definitely," Merida said.

"All prepared, captain." Rapunzel replied winking.

Hiccup smiled, "let's get this done then."

* * *

The group split off into groups of two. First the girls went shopping for their bangles and dangles, while the boys shopped for their own outfits. Then Merida would shop with Hiccup, while Jack and Rapunzel shopped, before they switched partners. It was a precaution to make sure they got everything they needed.

As Merida and Rapunzel were strolling along, carrying bags on their arms, they passed a man in a leather jacket. He accidentally bumped into Rapunzel, causing her to stumble and her bags slipped off her arms.

"Ah! I'm so sorry," The man bent down, grabbing up the bags, "are you alright?" Brown eyes looked at her with concern. Rapunzel blinked, "Uhm, yes..." She took the bags, "thank you."

He smiled, "I'll be more careful in the future," he turned and left. Rapunzel watched him go until Merida cleared her throat.

"Have a wee crush do we?" Merida teased.

Rapunzel blushed, "no!" She protested, scurrying forward.

"Ah, sure you do," Merida continued.

Something bothered Eugene, he turned and watched the redhead and the blonde moving away into the crowds. The red-head was teasing the blonde, who pushed the girl, blushing. Eugene narrowed his eyes, why were they so familiar to him? He shook his head, "that's impossible," he muttered and was about to leave the mall when he realized, it really wasn't. He spun around and tried to find them with his eyes, but it was too late, they had vanished like ghosts into the crowd.


	4. Chapter Three: Secrets

**A/N: **Slow moving! I'm sorry. Things will pick up soon! I hope you enjoy it! There are many secrets in these people's lives. Just so you all know, I am involving AS many side characters as I can from the movies! =D there's a lot of awesome ahead! I hope you will stay for it.

**Review question from user 'Sky':** "Thank you so much for actually answering my question!  
No one else has ever bothered to do that before.  
And this was a really good chapter by the way!  
But I have just one more question.  
Why are they stealing things? I mean you have a really great story and everything but they're the big four. So why do they steal things?"

**A:** You are welcome! =D I'm happy to reply to you. Well, the Big Four in this universe have come on some seriously hard times, and they found friends in each other through their similar pains. It's not uncommon. The answer to why they steal things will be revealed in the story. I hope it will be interesting for everyone. I really want to show a different side to them, as well. I mean, we are so used to seeming them as good and fighting evil. I wanted to see how they would be if they were the ones on the wrong side of the law, and how they would deal with the issues that would arise. I don't know if that's really an answer, but I hope it helps? XD

* * *

May 21st, 2013

9:32 a.m.

**Police Headquarters**

Eugene was brooding, a pencil shoved under his lip as he stared blankly at his desk. Yesterday, he had run back through the mass of people looking for those two girls. But he didn't find them; they had disappeared. He frowned when a boot kicked his seat and he jerked forward.

"What the-" He turned and stopped, his boss glared down at him. Eugene cleared his throat, "yes sir?"

"Eugene, just what do you think you are doing?" His boss snarled. Eugene blinked confused.

"I'm… studying the case?" he offered.

"Don't be smart!"

Eugene shrugged, "I didn't exactly graduate at the top of my class, so…"

His boss grunted, "punk. What I meant was, what do you think you are doing shutting out the FBI and CIA?"

"well, I-"

"Do you know that I received phone calls from their superiors?! Imagine how I felt being yelled at by men like that. Can you imagine?"

Eugene glanced around, "Uhm, I think I can."

"Well, get this into your head and understand it. We need the CIA and FBI. Why did you reject those agents' help?"

Eugene sighed, "because, you know I work better alone! I can move faster and get things done quicker. Having those suits lord over me with their prissy little attitudes, it's just not for me," he shrugged.

"Fitzherbert," his boss leveled him with his stern glare, "is this about what happened last year?"

Eugene froze, his fingers gripping the pencil in his hand, nearly snapping it in two. But he didn't reply.

"I've told you already, that wasn't your fault. You need to let it go."

He couldn't face his boss; he looked down at his shoes instead. Still refusing to reply.

"Look, Eugene," His boss gripped his shoulder, "I don't know why you are holding onto that guilt. But you need to let it go. If you don't, it'll eat you alive. Listen, kid, you are my best detective and I can't afford to lose you to that needless guilt. Okay?" The hand disappeared and his boss was back, "Now get your head on. If you've got a plan, then do it. I'll tell those agents they can stick around, but not to bother you, got it?"

Eugene nodded, "yes sir." He watched the man walk away and his fellow co-workers cower a bit as he passed. He sighed again. "Good grief," he opened the folder and looked through the information. "Darn shame the FBI and CIA can't help with photographs…" he muttered. His eyes narrowed on the blurry image that had been taken the day of the first heist ever undertaken by the Big Four. Something caught his eye, in the corner, a swirl of curly hair on a girl who was leaving the scene. His eyes widened, it was her.

* * *

May 21st, 2013

9:32 a.m.

**Home**

Happy humming filled the kitchen as Rapunzel cooked, she was usually fairly bright and bubbly, but today things were different. Merida looked over her magazine at the blonde and quirked a brow. She looked at Jack who was sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper. She nudged his arm, making his coffee dribble.

Jack looked up with a glare, "what?" he mouthed. Merida flicked her eyes towards Rapunzel, Jack followed her gaze.

"I know," he whispered. "It's kinda weird."

"What is it about?" Hiccup asked in a whisper, leaning closer so they could hear him. "I've never seen her _this_ happy!"

Merida chuckled, "I know why, I'll show you." They all sat back and Merida cleared her throat, "Punz."

"Yes?"

"You seem awfully chipper this morning. Any reason?"

Rapunzel paused, "no, not really." She grinned.

"Oh?" Merida gave her a nonchalant look, "I thought maybe it had to do with _that guy_ we bumped into yesterday."

Jack and Hiccup turned to look at Rapunzel, eyes wide and curious.

"What?" Rapunzel laughed nervously, "no, no, of course not!"

Merida smirked, while Jack and Hiccup leaned closer, eagerly awaiting Merida's next attack. "Then why are you so happy?"

"I'm.. just… excited!"

"Mmhmm. It's that guy! You have a crush on a total stranger!" Merida laughed.

"No! It's not, it's-"

Hiccup laughed, "it is!"

Jack smiled, muffling a chuckle.

Rapunzel's face turned a brilliant red, "m-m-maybe a little," she whispered, tugging her hair.

"It's alright to have a crush," Merida said.

Jack nodded, "sure. It's fine. But don't let it interfere with our jobs. Having a relationship in this business isn't easy," he looked down at his hands, "trust me. I know."

Hiccup sobered immediately, and Merida looked guilty. Rapunzel looked up, "I know. I just…"

Jack stood and came over to Rapunzel, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I understand. It's not a big deal, just don't let it get in the way of your job, okay?" He smiled reassuringly.

Rapunzel nodded, "alright."

"Now," Jack turned, "Hiccup, let's review."


	5. Chapter Four: A Plan

**A/N:** I was going to write more, but I decided this was good enough for now. I'm still settling on what their next steal will be. I think I might have to make it up for the sake of the story and it progressing smoothly. I'm not going to go into much detail on how to break into a museum, etc. Because I actually can't find much information on that (shocker). Instead I'm going to just do whatever I feel is necessary and hopefully, it will be believable! I bet you guys never saw this character coming tho. Hee! Enjoy. (Also, thanks to the anon and my friend for helping me decide on the name for said character!)

* * *

May 23rd, 2013.

10:25 a.m.

**Police Headquarters**

Ever since his boss had come and talked with him about the agents, the two suits had backed off. They were still hanging around the station at random intervals and whenever they had a meeting, the agents would hawk over him, drilling him with questions about what he might know or what his plans were. So far, they had proved only to be an irritant.

Eugene rubbed his temples as his computer screen began to blur and become one mass. "Fitzherbert," one of the agent's voice woke him from his stupor.

"Huh?" he turned to face agent Parkerson. "Yes, Parkerson?"

"The agency is sending down another agent to help the investigation move a lot smoother. According to my boss, this agent worked the case a while ago and knows in-depth details about one of the Big Four." Parkerson's blue eyes scanned Eugene's face, reading the signs of exhaustion and frustration. "You don't look so good," he said without concern, "maybe they should give the case to a more worthy detective."

Eugene felt his hackles rise and he sat up straighter, "sure, they could." He said calmly, "but nothing would ever get done. You see, Parkerson, I'm the best. I'm better than the best. When I want to get something, I get it." He stood, now eye-to-eye with the agent, "got it?" he whispered. His tone never changed from one of nonchalance, but his eyes spoke a different story.

Parkerson narrowed his eyes, "I understand, detective." He replied.

"Sparks flying?" Matthew Curtis, the CIA agent appeared next to them. Out of the two, Matthew had been the least problematic and was even helping Eugene by keeping Albert Parkerson off his case. "Don't set the station on fire. The new agent will be here soon, and that's not the best way to greet a new face." He sipped his coffee calmly, his whole body relaxed as the two finally stood down.

"This agent, what exactly do they know?" Eugene asked, sitting back down in his seat.

"Apparently, they had a personal relationship with one of them. Other than that, I can't say."

"Why not?" Eugene asked suspiciously. "Classified?"

Curtis smirked, "No. I just don't know."

"This… agent, who are they exactly?"

"I think you are about to get your answer…" Curtis gestured toward the station doors as they swung open and a woman in a pencil skirt, button down shirt, matching jacket and four-inch high heels clicked into the office. Her hair was black and soft, it was pulled back into a ponytail, as her bangs hung slightly over her eyes. She was somewhat tan and held a very foreign look.

She clicked toward them and stopped in front of the trio. Eugene's eyes bugged, he honestly hadn't been expecting this. A woman, and a beautiful one at that.

"Eugene Fitzherbert, I presume?" she said pulling off her dark sunglasses, "my name is Ana Fae. Special agent for the CIA." She smiled and held out her hand, "pleasure to meet you."

Eugene blinked, coming back to reality. He stood quickly and shook her hand, "Same."

Ana turned to the other agents, "Parkerson," she nodded, "and you must be agent Curtis." She shook his hand too. "Now that all the introductions are out of the way," she turned back to Eugene, "why don't you fill me in on what you know, and then I can help you out from there."

"Whoa now, I'm good as is. But thanks anyway," Eugene said.

A fine eyebrow rose on Ana's face, "then you know all about where they are going to hit next? And of course you are aware of their procedures, as well as how they operate and who goes in to collect, who distracts, and how they intend to hack into the top security systems in the world without ever being detected?" She smiled stiffly.

Eugene glanced at the other two agents and then back at Ana, "uhm…"

"Alright then, you will fill me in on what you know and then I can help from there." She nodded, "gentlemen." Without another word she left them, heading for the break-room and a cup of coffee.

Eugene watched her go before turning to Curtis and Parkerson, "how come you two don't know those things?"

They shrugged, "we were never told." Parkerson replied.

Eugene sat down with a groan, "great. Looks like I'm going to have help whether I want it or not."

"You need it. You've had the case for three or four days now and you've done nothing to uncover where they are going to hit next!" Parkerson snarled, "I had a clue and you, you just throw it away as if it were nothing."

Eugene rolled his eyes, "think about it, why would they hit a place that they made themselves known in? What's the point? The museum would know they were coming and have extra security! There is no point in returning there. It was a ploy to get you to _believe_ that's where they would go. And like the naive agent you are, you believed it."

"Mr. Fitzherbert is right." Ana's voice cut through any protest Albert had, "they would never hit the same place twice. It's just not smart. I'm glad to see Mr. Fitzherbert knows his stuff."

"It's just common sense," Eugene said, smiling a little at the compliment.

Ana's mouth twitched as she forced down the smile, "thief knowledge sometimes isn't." She glanced at the agents. Curtis ignored the remark, while Parkerson steamed in annoyance.

"Now," she pulled a chair up next to Eugene's desk, "tell me what you know."

Eugene stared at her for a moment, studying her face. She was obviously a stern person, to be a female agent surrounded by masculinity would take a lot of guts and self-esteem. But he also sensed something deeper, a hurt long pushed aside. He sighed and looked away, "alright. I know that the Big Four have been operating since 2010, three years ago. However, nobody knew who they were even after they made their first heist.

"Since 2010, they have made over twenty-five thefts, including personal property of one Duke in France, and ten from different countries outside the US and France. They even made personal house calls to rich collectors homes. After the third heist, which happened to be from the Louvre Museum in France, they were put on the map. No one knew who they were or where they came from. But the teens named themselves the Big Four. Bold and daring, they dropped a clean card with no prints on it, in place of an item they stole (the name of which was kept from the media) with bold letters that spelled out 'The Big Four'. Now having a proper title, the Big Four ran amok in the art world. They even stole a priceless necklace from the Egyptian museum." He smirked, "I gotta say, these kids are pretty gutsy."

Ana twitched, "indeed. They are."

"And they have a member who can replicate any art piece that they steal to utter perfection! Some of the top authenticators in the world couldn't tell the difference between the fake and the real one."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually admired these punks," Parkerson said.

Eugene swiveled his chair and smirked, "as a matter of fact, I do. It takes serious brains and lots of confidence to do what these kids are doing. Some of the biggest thieves known to the world have never even come close to stealing what they have stolen."

Ana nodded, "they are very good. But I think soon they will slip up. Since they began in 2010, new bands of thieves have popped up all over the world. None of any real consequence like the Big Four, however a few are worth noting and being fearful of. It would appear they have competition heading their way."

Eugene blinked, "you mean there are other teams of thieves who are out to get the Big Four?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. The Big Four are no longer alone in the game, they have awakened rivals and what I fear will be deadly competition." Ana sipped her coffee, "we have to find out what it is they plan to steal before they steal it, and intercept them and any others who may want to get their hands on the item."

Eugene sighed, "wonderful. How exactly do we do that?"

Ana grinned, "don't worry. I have a plan."


	6. Chapter Five: The Heist

**A/N: **It is not okay that I am shipping Eugene and Toothiana because of my own Fic. It's just not. _ SOMEONE SAVE ME! Anyway, I've finally finished it! I hope it's everything you wanted and more. And for all of you who keep asking. Yes, I WILL be revealing tons of background stuff about these kids in this story! Yes, there will be characters from ALL four movies, not just the main for (this includes families, etc.) Jamie will probably even be involved (from RotG). I'm working on fitting them all in now! So look forward to that. Love ya! If I update late, it's because I've been having TONS of personal issues and I can't get my life straight. So please bear with me! As always, THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! Your words give me hope and keep me going. Enjoy!

* * *

**Museum**

May 30th, 2013

4:30 p.m.

The sun was hot and it burned down on anyone who roamed the streets, which were quite a few people. Many of them trailed into the museums to get away from the it or into coffeehouses. On that particular day, a white haired young man, wearing a cap, walked with a lazy stride into a museum. The security guards didn't even spare him a glance as he passed through the doors.

He made his way down a few different halls, browsing pictures here and there until he stopped in front of a huge sign that read: MONA LISA SHOWING FOR A LIMITED TIME ON MAY 31, 2013, DO NOT MISS IT THIS ONCE IN A LIFE-TIME OPPORTUNITY. He smirked quietly at the sign and glanced at the case it would be shown in. It was a high security vault, he knew that better than anyone. Sure, it looked like glass, but with all the lasers and censors that were embedded in it, it was more than just a case.

He continued along in his lackadaisical way until he rounded the corner. From this distance he could see the brunette boy who sat in a corner of the museum playing on his iPhone. He looked like the typical teen you might see in such a place; bored and waiting for his parents to come back. His eyes shifted over the crowd and he nodded.

Without so much as looking up, the brunette boy flicked something on his screen and with a beep the door which the other boy had gone to clicked open. It was a security door that would lead him into the back of the museum where they were currently storing the Mona Lisa. The air was even cooler back there and he tucked his hands into his pockets as he walked. No one ever looked his way, not a single person even noticed his existence.

He paused outside another door, keeping his head down. He heard the lock click open and he pulled the door open and slipped inside. He turned around and face the canvas which was being kept in a temperature controlled environment to keep the paint from peeling. He hesitated for a moment, this was it, this was the moment where everything truly began.

The whole time he had been wearing leather gloves, leaving not a single fingerprint behind as he removed the case which held the Mona Lisa and put the fake on the stand in a case which was also an exact replica of the one holding the famous painting. He breathed a sigh of relief, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. Quickly, he stowed the painting into the pack that had been left right outside the door for him and slipped out of the room again.

He marched down the hall toward the backdoor exit which was used by employees and opened onto a back lot. As he was going, a tingling sensation ran down his spine and he glanced over his shoulder, but there wasn't anyone there. He looked forward again and jerked to a stop, more by force than anything, as a fist collided with his gut. He stumbled back with a cough, his eyes watered as he gazed upon his assailant.

"Nice work, Frost," the feminine voice said from behind a mask of black, "but this is my game. You just got there a second sooner than me." She pulled the mask up, revealing her face and thick blonde hair which curled around her neck as the rest was tied back in a braid. She had a triumphant look in her eyes. "I want you to see my face, and take a nice drink of it. Remember this face. Because you need to know that this is the last time you are going to win." She grinned, flashing her white teeth.

Through his watery vision, he noted a dragon pendant dangling from around her neck, "Who are you?" He said, coughing as air returned to his lungs.

"You're so smart, Frost. Why don't you figure it out?" She yanked the mask over her face and disappeared down the hall. In the distance, he heard the backdoor open and shut. His exit had just been used. He scrambled to his feet, lungs working better as he ran toward the door. He slammed into it and it burst open.

The sun blinded him and he stopped before stumbling down the metal stairs. Squinting, he looked for his attacker, but there was no sign of her or the painting. Cursing under his breath, he ran to the van painted with the museum's name on it and climbed into the back.

"What happened?" Merida asked confusion written all over her face. "Where's the painting?"

He shook his head, "it's gone."

"Gone?" Merida shouted.

"Yes. Now drive." He ordered calmly, his head hurt and his stomach was pulsing with pain. Someone had stolen the painting from them. He closed his eyes, remembering her face and the smug expression there. She was familiar, but he couldn't remember why.

Jack sat quietly the whole ride. He didn't say anything else, and Merida was attempting to control her need to ask a thousand questions. When they pulled up to their hideout, Jack got out and walked into the house with Merida close on his heels.

Jack sat down at the kitchen table, and waited. Hiccup and Rapunzel trailed in eventually and they all stared at him.

"Where's the painting?" Hiccup asked looking around for the bag.

"Gone," Merida said sharply, "and Jack won't say why."

Rapunzel gazed at him, "Jack?" she ventured. "Jack, what happened?"

Slowly Jack raised his head, "someone stole the painting."

Stunned silence filled the room and they all sat frozen, staring at their leader and friend who had never ever lost an item in his whole life. Was it possible someone had out-smarted the Ghost?

"Who were they?" Hiccup dared to ask.

"I don't know, but we are going to find out. And when we do, they are going to pay the piper." Jack's blue eyes glittered with a fierceness that few in the group had seen before. It startled Rapunzel and Hiccup, who both leaned back. Merida though was unfazed and reached across the table.

"How do we find them?" She asked.

A smirk twitched his lips, "she's not the only one with a plan." He placed his phone on the table, and on the screen was a blurry image of the girl who had stolen the painting.

"It's hard to see…" Hiccup muttered.

Jack frowned, "be happy we have something to go off of. Otherwise, we would be having a bit of a problem." He sat back, stretching his legs out under the table, "not that we aren't having a major problem already."

Merida looked at the picture and then at him, "alright, so we find her, then what?"

"Then, we lay a trap."

"A trap?" Merida shook her head, "this girl interfered in our business. She stole something we were going to take. How in the name of Scotland Yard did she know we were going to take it? That is the question I want answered."

Hiccup studied the photo, "give me a few days. Maybe I'll have an answer for you." He took Jack's phone and disappeared upstairs, leaving the other three. Rapunzel cleared her throat, "until Hiccup discovers who it is, what do we do?"

Jack shrugged, "stay clean. We can't afford another risk like that, because if she knows what moves we are making, then there is a huge possibility that others know too."

The implications of that made Rapunzel shiver. "Are we really that well known in the thieving world?"

Jack laughed, "oh, yes, Rapunzel. We really, really are."

* * *

Night flashed into being and Jack sat on the roof of their building, his eyes watching the lights shift below as cars drove here and there. He heard the door open behind him. By the scent of the perfume, he knew it was Merida.

"Hey," she sat down next to him, "you okay?"

Jack shifted his head to look at her, "yeah, why?"

Merida rolled her eyes, "don't you 'yeah, why' me. I know you, Jack." She leaned back on her arms, "you haven't lost a single heist in your entire life."

A deep sigh escaped her companion, "that's where you're wrong." He murmured.

Merida's eyes narrowed, "what-"

"It was a long time ago, and I don't want to talk about it," Jack said, cutting her off. "Not right now. Not when we have other things to worry about." His gaze was focused on the distant horizon as he spoke and Merida brushed her curly hair away from her face, "alright. I won't ask. But you don't have to lie to me. I can tell when you aren't okay."

The cool night breeze danced over them and they sat silently, watching the lights twinkle in the city, and for a moment it felt as if they were staring down at the stars.

* * *

Eugene blinked hard, walking into work today, a huge stack of case files were on his desk and who should be behind the catastrophe? None other than Ana Fae. He marched to her and watched her over one of the enormous stacks of folders, "so, you enjoying yourself?" He asked casually.

"Mmhm," She replied without looking up. Eugene nodded, his eye twitching as he rounded the desk. "That's good, but I'm just wondering one thing?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think you're doing at my desk?!" He said while giving her a wide-eyed look of annoyance. "I know you're new here, and you're used to having your own desk and blah blah blah! But this is my desk, my work area and I don't like it when other people come in here and mess it up. Now if you will kindly move…"

Ana watched him with a smile, she seemed to enjoy his temper-tantrum, "That was amusing." She chuckled, "I'm sorry, detective. I had no idea you were OCD about your desk. I'll move these things immediately and try to find a place on the floor." She stood, grabbing an armload of folders.

"Thank you," Eugene said, feeling a little smug. But the guilt hit him sooner than he would have liked as he watched her make a circle in a corner of folders, which she sat in. He rolled his eyes and face-planted onto his desk.

"Ana," he called, his voice muffled by his arm. "You can sit across from me, if you want. And I… I can split my desk." He shrugged.

Ana blinked, looking quite taken aback by his offer, but flashed a smile, "no thank you, detective. I don't want to crowd you." Eugene stiffened at her brush-off and sat up straight.

"Fine. I get it, you don't want to share the desk of a detective," he muttered, "snooty little CIA…" He signed onto his computer and missed the tiny smile Ana was trying to conceal behind a folder.


	7. Chapter Six: Aftermath

**A/N:** We get a few more characters added! I was so stoke to write this chapter. Enjoy.

P.S. Congrats to those who guessed it was Astrid. Fine job, all of you! =D

OH! As a side-note, if you guys go to my tumblr: info; you can find information on the current characters and hints at the up-coming characters! There are quite a few secrets that will be unlocked much later. I hope you will stay with me as this goes. Thanks for all your fantastic reviews! They mean the world to me.

* * *

**The Cave**

May 30th, 2013

5:00 p.m.

The doors to the dark room opened and closed without so much as a whisper. The girl marched across the dusty wooden planks that made up the floors in the two level townhouse that was supposed to be abandoned. Her hood fell away from her blonde hair as the lights flickered into existence and blinked a second before burning brightly. She sighed softly, tugging the black mask from her face and throwing it onto the couch.

"Oi! Watch where you throw things," came a disgruntled voice. In the darkness of the corner, she could barely see the boy who sat there. "How'd it go?"

The girl rolled her eyes, "fine, no thanks to you." She put the bag down against the wall and placed her hands on her hips, "just what in the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Uh, taking a nap?"

She struggled not to face-palm, "no. I mean, where were you today? Fishlegs was so panicked he started to hyperventilate! And Snotlout was trying to shut him up, but it only made it worse. You guys were supposed to be there. So where the hell were you?"

The boy rolled his shoulders and yawned, stretching like a cat before shrugging, "I was nappin'."

"Ugh! You almost cost us the whole heist. It only made matters worse that we got the time wrong and Jack was there before us." She threw her hands up and paced the room. "We needed you, and _both_ of you weren't there." She glowered around the room, "where is your sister anyway?"

"Oh, she's taking a bath. She's been in there for two hours… Oh gods, I hope she didn't drown." He hesitated and then looked at his leader, "will you go check?"

"What?"

"She's a girl. I can't just bust in there. Besides, the last time I did that, she nearly axed my head off," The boy wrapped a hand around his neck and swallowed hard. "I think you'd better do it."

"Right, because she _won't_ try to kill me. Is that what you're saying?"

"Yeah."

"Auugh, fine. I'll go check on her," Muttering, the blonde tromped up the creaky wooden stairs and stopped outside one of the two bathrooms. One was for the girls, the other for the boys. She had made that a rule when they came here after Snotlout burst in on her changing. She sighed, happy those days were past and knocked on the door.

"Ruffnut? You in there?" She called.

A splash and gurgle concerned her, but the girl replied, "yeah. I must have fallen asleep. I'm awake now. Don't worry about it."

"I wasn't, Tuffnut was," She paused, "did you really almost kill him the last time he checked on you?"

"The idiot didn't knock like you, so yeah, I almost killed him."

"Got'cha. Well, I'll see you downstairs."

"Alright. Awesome." More splashing and then a squeak before a string of curses violated the air. Wincing, the blonde went back downstairs.

"Astrid."

The girl turned to face Tuffnut, "yeah?"

"What was Jack like?"Tuffnut leaned against the frame of the kitchen entrance, watching Astrid with that lazy gaze which irritated her.

Astrid smiled remembering Jack's face, "he was… everything I thought he would be. And everything **_he_**told me he would be."

Tuffnut's eyebrows rose, "really? That must've been chilling."

"No. Not at all. It was exhilarating."

* * *

**The Hideout**

June 5th, 2013

11 a.m.

"Uggh, c'mon!" Merida spun around in the swivel chair for the umpteenth time.

"It takes time and a lot of patience," Hiccup said, his irritation growing as the redhead continued to bother him. "If you don't want to help then leave." He jabbed a finger at the door without turning to face her.

Merida frowned, "fine. I don't have patience for this."

"Thank you," Hiccup muttered.

Merida jumped up and left the room, trotting down the steps and into the kitchen, "Hiccup's taking forever."

Jack looked up from his novel, "it's not an easy process, Mer." He replied.

"I kno'," she slumped into a chair across from him and flopped her forehead onto her arms with a whine. "I jus' like everything to go _quickly_, you know? So we can catch that blonde brat."

Jack struggled not to laugh at her pout-fest, "Don't worry, we'll catch her. She can't hide forever."

Merida looked up at him from under her red locks, "you're really not concerned?"

Jack blinked, "I didn't say that." They both stayed quiet for a while before Merida sat up, "where's Rapunzel?"

"Painting."

"Maybe I'll go bother her." Merida stood, her hand hesitating on the table. "We'll find her," She said, attempting to reassure him.

Jack smiled, Merida could be hard to deal with at times, and a real pain in the butt when she wanted to be. But there were moments when he realized she was just as vulnerable and soft as the rest of them, despite how she tried to hide it behind her faux armor. She cared just as much as the others, and had been hurt just like them. So when she looked at him with those concerned blue eyes, he knew she was saying more than she could express in words. "I know."

**Two days later..**.

June 7th, 2013

1 a.m.

Hiccup stared at the screen, his hand covering his mouth, "it can't be," he whispered. On the screen in a pixelated image was the very same girl that Jack had caught a picture of. It couldn't possibly be her. Could it?

* * *

**Police Department**

June 8th, 2013

Noon

"Are you kidding me?!" Eugene's exclamation made every person in the office look up suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Ana asked, coming to his desk and observing his strained behavior.

"Apparently, the FBI has decided to pull back on this case and let the CIA handle all the affairs. According to my boss, too many cooks in one kitchen. And thanks to **your** boss, they are sending down ANOTHER CIA agent. As if two wasn't bad enough!" Eugene looked up at Matthew Curtis who was walking toward them as he spoke.

"Did you hear the news?" Matthew asked.

"Yeah, a new guy is coming down from the CIA." Eugene sat back in his chair, "such happy news."

Matthew's eyebrows rose, "well, that's part of it. I've been recalled so that this department won't be over-run with CIA. It'll only be two agents." At this, the man's eyes flickered to Ana in a way that bothered both Eugene and Ana.

"Who is it?" Ana inquired.

"You don't know?" Matthew said, sounding surprised, "I thought of all people they would tell you." He studied her for a moment, "it's your old partner."

Ana paled visibly and her leg weakened. "Oh," She whispered.

Eugene blinked, watching her reaction in confusion, "wait… who?"

"E. Aster Bunnymund," Matthew replied.

"What? Bunnymund? What kind of last name is that?" Eugene couldn't resist the chuckle that broke from him, "Bunnymund.." he sat back, laughing. "That's a real intimidating name! Bunny… mund."

Matthew glanced behind Eugene, and Ana glanced too.

"He's behind me, isn't he?" Eugene said, catching their looks.

"No, I just wanted to freak you out." Matthew smiled, "see you all later." He turned and left the office.

Eugene looked up at Ana, "your old partner, huh?"

Ana nodded, "it appears so."


	8. Chapter Seven: Secrets

**A/N: **There is now an FAQ page. Find it on the description above, or go to my tumblr and put (slash) FAQ at the end of my address. Please refer to it before asking me any questions about this story. If the questions have already been answered, I won't be answering them again. As much as I love your reviews and questions, it's getting hard to answer the ones I've already done. Thank you for being awesome! =D If your question wasn't answered in the FAQ, I'll answer it as soon as I can.

Also, I know I said I would do the RotBTD fic. But I've been more inspired for this fic! D: Sorry! I'm not going to let the other one die, I promise.

* * *

**Police Department**

**June 10th, 2013**

**11 a.m.**

**FLOP**. Folders hit the desk loudly and Eugene jumped, jerking up to look at Ana who, by the way her eyebrows were narrowed, was definitely irritated. He slowly closed the folder containing The Big Four's information and sat back.

"What's up?" he asked, crossing his arms. She bit her lip and sighed, "I couldn't find anything on the other members of the Big Four. Nothing! There's nothing. No hints, no clues, no trace!" She ran a hand through her short feather-cut black hair, "it's so frustrating."

Eugene glanced at the folders and then back up at the agent, "I thought you knew stuff about them already." Ana twitched, refusing to look at him. He continued, "I was told you had insider information on them. Stuff no one else knew…" He leaned forward, "was that a lie?"

Ana glared at him before relaxing and sinking into the chair stationed next to his desk, "no. It wasn't a lie… per se." She shrugged, "I do have information on the Big Four. But it's… not really that helpful." She looked down at her hands, "it's a touchy subject."

His eyebrows rose and he nodded, "things like this usually are. If we are going to find anything out about these guys, we gotta share information." He leaned even closer now, his honey-brown eyes serious as he whispered, "So what happened?" Ana stared into those eyes and felt her resolve weaken, for a moment they flashed blue in her mind and she shook her head. "It's-"

"Agent Fae, Detective Fitzherbert," The voice of Eugene's boss snap their eyes away from each other and they looked up. Walking toward them was the overly serious man who ran the department, and behind him was a ridiculously tall, handsome agent with a sharp black jacket and black hair. "This is Agent E. Aster Bunnymund from the CIA. Aster, this is Eugene Fitzherbert, my top detective and-"

"Ana Fae," Aster interrupted, "I know."

Eugene watched as Ana's eye met Aster's green ones and felt slightly uncomfortable, "Ahem." He cleared his throat, breaking their eye contact. "Hi, I'm-"

"Eugene, the detective. He just said," Aster shook Eugene's outstretched hand, "nice to finally meet ya, mate." The thing that threw Eugene more than the tension between Ana and Aster was the fact that this guy had an Australian accent. He wanted to laugh, but knew that it wasn't professional, especially with his boss right there.

"Right, yeah. Nice to meet you," Eugene sank back into his seat.

"Good to see you three getting alone. I'll leave you to it." Eugene's boss left them alone and Aster turned back to Ana.

"Catch me up on the case then," he said rather bluntly. Ana looked stunned and a bit hurt at his brush off, she shook it off and turned to Eugene, "we've been looking through the old thefts to see what was there, and so far we have found nothing."

Aster nodded, "of course not. He's smarter than that."

"Wait, what? You know Jack Frost?" Eugene asked in confusion. Aster looked at him, "I've met him, back before I realized who he was." He glanced back at Ana before holding Eugene's gaze, "it's a bit personal. And I'm assuming Ana's said nothing about it, so I won't."

Eugene blinked rapidly, "I'm missing a ton of stuff then. And I seriously think it should be shared!"

Ana sighed, "perhaps later?"

Eugene stood, "if you have information that can help with the case, you are obligated to share." He hissed quietly. Aster's eyebrows went up.

"Pretty boy's tougher than he looks," He said impressed.

Ana looked down, "let's go somewhere else, okay?"

Once the door was shut and locked Eugene turned on the two agents, "okay, spill. I want to know what is going on."

Ana sat down across the table from him, "it was a while ago… back when I first became an agent, I met a boy. He was actually a teenager at the time, around seventeen. I saw him sitting on the street corner as I was walking home, and at first I was frightened. I wondered if he meant me any harm, but as I passed he didn't even lift his head to look at me. After that, I couldn't stop thinking about him, and the next day he was in the same spot. I hesitated to talk to him and I finally did…" she shook her head, "I said, 'why are you sitting here on this corner, kid? Are you homeless?' and he looked up at me, his hair was stark white and his eyes a blue, like no blue I'd ever seen. He said, 'something like that.' And smiled at me, as if it were perfectly normal.

"Of course I couldn't just leave him there, so I offered him some tea and we went into my house." She paused watching Eugene's face for a reaction, but he didn't say anything and she kept going, "after talking to him, I asked him where his family was and he told me he lost his entire family and had no where to live. He'd been living in alleyways and on street corners. I knew I couldn't let him stay on the streets, though my better judgment told me not to let him stay. So I offered to let him rent out one of my rooms. He said he couldn't pay any money, and I told him that if he helped around the house until he could find a job, he could stay. And he did." She shrugged, brushing a piece of invisible lint from her pant leg.

The silence that filled the room after she finished speaking was awkward, and the group seemed lost in their own thoughts, until Eugene spoke, "And… that boy was Jack Frost?" He looked at Ana. "Wow, how did you find that out?"

Ana stood, "let's just say it was a hard lesson learned." She marched to the door of the room and opened it, "I hope that helps, detective." The door shut behind her and Eugene faced Aster.

"It actually doesn't."

Aster sighed, "why not? you know he has no family. His name is most likely an alias."

"Most likely? Of course it's an alias! I mean, Jack Frost is a mythological creature. He's the king of winter, the guy who makes summer turn to autumn and winter. He's not real." Eugene stood up, "but Jack, this kid, Jack is real. And if Ana is protecting him, she's obstructing the investigation."

Aster smirked, "oh, believe me. She's not protecting him. She wants to catch him just as much as you. Some things are just a bit too personal to tell right now." The agent opened the door for Eugene. "Just give her some time, she'll come around."

Eugene sighed, "Alright."

* * *

**The Hideout**

**June 10th, 2013**

**11:30 a.m.**

"Are you 100% sure?"

"Listen, if I weren't 150% sure, I wouldn't have called you up here to talk about it." Hiccup ran a hand through his hair and sat back, looking at his leader. "Well? What do you purpose we do?"

Jack smiled, "I propose we catch our little thief the way she caught us. We're going to set up a fake heist, and if she's as smart as she thinks she is, she'll come."

"What about… our connections?" Hiccup whispered, knowing full well that Merida or Rapunzel could be eavesdropping. After all, Hiccup had called Jack up to the room and shut the door without any real explanation as to why. "I'm worried that they will get in the way."

"That was a long time ago, right?" Jack patted Hiccup's shoulder. "Don't let it get to you."

"Alright." Hiccup swiveled his chair before asking, "Jack, when do you think they will realize the Mona Lisa is a fake?"

Jack turned to face his friend, "hopefully not for a few more weeks."

"Jack," Hiccup sat forward, leaning on his knees, "why did we steal - er, attempt to steal the Mona Lisa? Why was that one so important? You took a huge risk with it when we could have gone after something less high profile and still had our names in the paper. So why the Mona Lisa?"

The white-haired youth froze with his hand on the doorknob, before answering, "it is a call out to an old friend." Jack opened the door and left. Hiccup watched him go in puzzlement. What old friend what Jack talking about?" He scratched his head and sighed.

"This is getting complicated," he muttered.

* * *

**The Hideout**

**Same date, same time.**

"Punzel," Merida sank down onto a chair, watching as her blonde friend worked like a master of the old arts on a canvas.

"Yes, Merida?"

"Do you think Jack's lost his touch?" Merida placed her hands on the chair, leaning forward, shoulders hunched, "I still believe in him and his abilities. But I feel like something is drawing on him. Ever since we lost the Mona Lisa, he's been different, almost distant."

"And cold." Rapunzel added, her brush lowering from it's soft strokes. "Yeah, I noticed." She tucked stray strands of hair behind her ear and turned to face Merida, "Jack has a lot of stuff in his past that he hasn't told us about. I wish he could trust us."

Merida nodded, looking down at her boots, "why do you think he doesn't?"

Rapunzel shrugged, wiping her hands on a towel and taking a seat next to Merida on a separate chair. "Who can say?"

"I think it's because he's been hurt. Someone hurt him and made him feel like he couldn't trust again. Remember when we first met him? He was always so fun and excited. Then he started to disappear for hours at a time, and when we planned to meet up, he would be late or not come at all."

"I remember. That was a long time ago… a long time before we found this place." Rapunzel gazed up at the bright ceiling dazzled with an array of paintings she had done over the years. "I'm glad we found each other, and I think that someday, Jack will tell us his secrets." Rapunzel smiled at Merida, "just not right now."

"I kno'…I just worry about him," Merida replied. The older girl wrapped her arm around the red-head, "I know you do." She whispered, giving the girl's shoulders a squeeze.

* * *

**Police Department, Calif.**

**June 10th, 2013.**

**1 p.m.**

"Sir, we just received this." The man summoned Eugene and his team into the room where a TV was and inserted the DVD, "this is from almost two weeks ago at the museum which is supposed to be hosting the Mona Lisa. There was some suspicious activity that day, and after reviewing their security footage, they noticed that nothing seemed amiss, but then they saw this…" The man pressed play and the screen came alive with the back door on the museum.

"It's the back door, so what?" Aster said, crossing his arms.

"Wait for it, sir." Suddenly the video feed blipped and the back door burst open, and a masked girl came barreling down the steps and across the parking and out of view.

"What was she carrying?" Eugene asked. "It looked like a painting."

"One more moment, sir, I promise you will love this." The door opened again and to their surprise, Jack Frost appeared and stood on the steps, clearing looking for the girl who had just seconds ago, come through that door.

"Oh my gosh…" Ana whispered.

"They stole the Mona Lisa." Eugene said, shock written all over his face as the screen blacked out.

"According to the footage, it looks like that girl stole the painting, which for the moment we are assuming is the Mona Lisa," Eugene was now sitting on the edge of his desk talking to his colleagues. "So, there must have been some sort of scuffle, because Jack looks a little out of sorts when he exits and disappears. Now we need to know who that girl was."

"I know who she is," Aster said as he tossed a file down on the table, "her name is Astrid Hofferson, a.k.a Stormfly. She's the leader of a group of thieves who call themselves 'the Dragons.' They've committed several thefts in the past few years, and Astrid has a quite a record for stealing."

"How do you know it's her?" Eugene asked gazing at the picture in the file.

"Same height, same build. And witnesses said they saw a blue sports jeep zip out of the adjacent parking lot to the museum at around that time, a blonde was driving." Aster rested his hands against the desk behind him, leaning back. "Enough proof for ya, pretty boy?"

Eugene glanced up, ignoring the comment, "Blue jeep… why does she drive a jeep of all cars? It's not like they're cheap." He lowered the case file onto the desk. "Do we know who else is in the Dragons?"

"We know there are five in total, but we have only identified three, one being Astrid. Others are Snotlout Jorgenson a.k.a Hookfang, and Fishlegs Ingerman a.k.a Meatlug," Aster said.

"Why do these kids have such terrible names?" Eugene asked, looking disgusted.

"Snotlot is the descendant of a clan of Vikings, according to his Tycoon of a father."

"Wait, Snotlout's father is a business Tycoon? No wonder he sounded familiar." Eugene muttered. "So, taking a shot in the dark, I'm going to say The Dragons have a beef with the Big Four."

"And they just had their first tussle," Ana said, crossing her arms.


End file.
